Two plays exploring the struggle of mental illness by the Tony Award–winning "giant of American theater" and author of Hurlyburly ( Chicago Tribune).Good for Otto, which premiered in October 2015 at the Gift Theatre in Chicago, is a "sprawling drama of mental illness" in which "Mr. Rabe digs into his subject with a depth that almost feels bottomless." Drawing on material from Undoing Depression by psychotherapist Richard O'Connor...

A successful artist shoots a dog harassing his cows and descends into madness in this dark novel by the Tony Award–winning author of Sticks and Bones.In classic works such as Hurlyburly and Streamers, David Rabe's depictions of violence and the dark side of the human psyche have won him widespread acclaim. In Recital of the Dog, a painter who has left urban chaos for the country soon finds his hopes of tranquility shattered by a ...

A searing portrait of a young dancer's descent into hell—extensively revised and returned to the two-act structure originally intended by the author.Chrissy, a bright and not-quite-innocent woman with visions of a career as a dancer, finds herself in the Boom Boom Room, a disco/bar in Philadelphia meant to be her first step on the road to stardom. Instead, she finds herself fighting to keep her dreams intact amid the anesthetic sex and stimulation that surround her...

"[A] violent, surrealist romp" from the Tony Award–winning playwright of Hurlyburly and Visiting Edna ( The Brown Daily Herald).David Rabe explores the struggle between hope and anguish in the human spirit in this story of two small-time jewel thieves united in a strangely unsettling friendship and the constant fight to prove to themselves and others how tough they are. But when their frantic scheming suddenly begins to betray them in mys...

"The only Vietnam plays to appear on Broadway while the war was raging" from the Tony Award–winning playwright of Hurlyburly ( Observer).David Rabe has been a major voice and crucial force in American drama since 1971 when, in the midst of the Vietnam War, he startled the nation with The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. The story of a native recruit's initiation into war, it is by turns brutal and hilarious. It won the young playwright an ...

The landmark American play—and its prequel—from the Tony Award–winning author of Sticks and Bones and In the Boom Boom Room.Nominated for the Tony Award when it was first produced in 1984, Hurlyburly was immediately hailed as a classic American drama. This edition is the definitive version of David Rabe's most celebrated work, reflecting his continued exploration of the play through several productions—in particular the one he directed in...

Tales from the Tony Award–winning playwright: "Not only an exhibition of David Rabe's acclaimed dramatic powers but also proof of his narrative magic" (Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate).David Rabe, playwright of Hurlyburly and In the Boom Boom Room, brings his intense vision to the world of fiction with a short story collection of astonishing range and versatility. Whether he is writing about a marriage shadowed by the unacknowledged discord...

In these disquieting tales of confronting the past, the author and playwright showcases his "keen ear for how people talk, think, and behave" ( Publishers Weekly).Listening for Ghosts collects some of David Rabe's most compelling short fiction of the past few years, including three stories that appeared in the New Yorker. In "Things We Worried About When I Was Ten," a group of seemingly carefree Midwestern boys are revealed to be egregiou...

The Tony Award–winning playwright of Hurlyburly "confronts the timely topic of assisted suicide . . . an affirmation of dignity that rings clear and true" ( Variety).David Rabe is one of America's finest dramatists. In A Question of Mercy, he explores the controversial and emotional issue of euthanasia, delving deep into the ties that bind friends and lovers. Thomas and Anthony are lovers struggling with Anthony's final, exhausting battle...

An acclaimed playwright's first work for children...A gentle and thoroughly original animal storyYoung Jonathan finds a small, frightened squirrel on the road and brings it home tucked inside his sneaker. But the squirrel named Mr. Wellington is weak and listless, and fearful of the unfamiliar surroundings. Told from alternating perspectives--Jonathan's and Mr. Wellington's--this beautifully written story, enhanced with pen-and-ink wash illustrations, has all the markings of an endu...

Eight years ago, Mary and Freddy Gale's young daughter was killed by a drunk driver on her way home from school. The driver, a young man named John Booth, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Unable to absolve their own guilt, the Gale's marriage dissolves and Mary takes their two remaining children away from Freddy.Quenching his thirst for vengeance with alcohol, Freddy Gale waits for John Booth's release, planning his revenge. He becomes a man obsessed. On the day of John Boot...

In the twenty years that preceded the publication of this book in 1988, David Rabe was in the vanguard of playwrights who shaped American theatre. As the first full-length work on Rabe, this book laid the groundwork for later critical and biographical studies. The first part consists of an essay that covers three sections: a short biography, a summary and evaluation of his formative journalism for the New Haven Register, and a detailed and cohesive stage history of his work. The s...